Chapter 37: Class Representative Ranking Battle
Chapter 37: Class Representative Ranking Battle
The next morning.
“Hello, hello! Did everyone sleep well? How was the dormitory? It wasn't too shabby compared to living at home, right? I’m so jealous! Even professors don’t get quarters that spacious! …Then again, we get laboratories, so I guess it’s about the same? Ahaha!”
Despite it being the first period, Professor Iona Francesca skipped into the room, looking anything but lethargic.
Her behavior was that of a total child, but her physique was anything but. With every skip, her chest swayed unrestrainedly—a sight that left a lasting impression.
In fact, several male students in Class A were staring at Professor Iona as if possessed.
However, one couldn't afford to look down on her just because she appeared flighty.
Iona was a vampire nearly at the Lord class, a literal monster who had participated in the War of the Gods three hundred years ago.
Furthermore, the subject she taught was ‘Magic Combat Studies.’
Who would dare mock someone like her?
“Today, today! Just like I said yesterday, we’re going to have duels to pick the class representative and test your skills! I’ll personally cast protection magic on you, so you don’t have to worry about getting hurt! Even if something goes wrong, there’s a priest on standby in the infirmary, so as long as you don’t die, it’ll work out somehow! Yep!”
Iona said these terrifying things with a bright, sunny smile.
Well, it was true that no one would likely get seriously injured. To begin with, freshmen wouldn't even be able to pierce Iona’s protection magic.
“Now, everyone follow me! Follow me! Freshmen aren't usually allowed to use it, but I’ve rented out a dueling ground in my name!”
With that, Iona skipped out of the classroom just as she had entered.
Before anyone could even ask a question, she had said her piece and left. Just as the students were standing there with dumbfounded expressions—
Peek.
Iona poked her head back through the doorway and urged us along.
“Hurry up! You have other professors’ classes after mine, you know? If you dawdle, you’ll be late on your very first day! That would be bad. Yep! Very bad!”
And then she vanished again.
Glancing through the window, I saw her playing by herself in the hallway, rubbing the floor with the tip of her toe.
When our eyes met, she beckoned me to come over.
That person is one of the top powerhouses in the Academy…?
Seeing her in person, rather than through a monitor, was honestly a bit shocking.
I stood up with a hollow laugh, and the other students, who had been glancing at each other, began to rise one by one.
The attendants followed suit.
“Everyone’s here? This year’s freshmen are so well-behaved! How precious! You’re such precious little chicks! Then, let’s head out right away!”
Iona chuckled and led the way.
Thus, a strange procession was formed: Iona in the lead, the Class A students following, and the attendants trailing behind us.
I was snickering to myself, thinking we looked like a family of ducks crossing the road, when—
“You.”
Elisha, who should have been a bit further away, had approached my side and spoke quietly.
“Is something the matter, Lady Glenziel?”
“Hmph! I told you yesterday, didn't I? I won’t forget what happened at the cafeteria.”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, she had realized that Carla had subtly played her.
“Prepare yourself. Through this duel, I will make you feel the gap between us in your very bones.”
She kept saying lines like a third-rate villain, both yesterday and today.
Because of that, I felt a bit mischievous.
“What? I’m sorry? You’re going to use this duel as an excuse to completely crush me?! But why! I only did what you told me to, Lady Glenziel… Mmph, mmph!”
When I shouted that out loud, a horrified Elisha lunged forward and covered my mouth.
Are elves’ body temperatures lower than humans’? Or were Elisha’s hands just naturally cold?
The soft palm covering my lips and the surrounding area felt slightly chilly, which was actually quite pleasant.
Elisha’s face, however, was flushing bright red, in stark contrast to her body temperature.
She hurriedly cast a Silence spell centered on herself.
Perhaps worried about the range, she pressed closer to me and whispered in a desperate voice.
“Shh! Shh! Are you crazy?! Why do you keep slandering me, Yandel?!”
“Mmmph, mmph… Slurp.”
“Hya?!”
When I gave her palm a light lick, Elisha jumped back in shock, pulling her hand away.
She pulled a handkerchief from somewhere and began scrubbing her spit-covered hand vigorously. I simply shrugged at her as she glared at me.
“Slander? Everything I said was true.”
The part about her planning to thoroughly beat me in this duel, and the fact that Carla spent all of yesterday acting like a slave because of her.
It wasn't like I was making things up.
Elisha seemed to realize that too, as she nodded blankly.
“That… well, yes. That is true. But it’s more about, how should I put it… the way you say it… Huh? Wait. Did I… did I really look that way in Yandel’s eyes…? Since there is a difference in our status, perhaps I really did….”
The more she talked to herself, the more confusion bloomed on her face.
Eventually, she seemed to reach a conclusion and shook her head frantically, her expression turning pale.
“N-No! I’m not that much of a wicked woman! What happened just now was just… Ugh!”
Elisha looked incredibly apologetic but couldn't bring herself to say the words.
Trusting the image I had of her from H&A and Carla’s words that she wasn't a bad person, I decided to push a bit further.
“I’m joking, Lady Glenziel. I might have thought so at first, but after talking yesterday, those misunderstandings were cleared up.”
“…Then why play such a prank?”
“Well…”
I couldn't exactly say it was because it was fun. That would be a bit too much, even for me.
So, deciding to shake things up so she wouldn't take it as an insult, I put on a brazen face.
“Because I wanted to get closer to you, Lady Glenziel.”
“H-Huh?!”
“After talking a few times, you seem like a much better person than I thought. You must think well of me too, since you keep talking to me, right?”
Elisha flinched, clearly not expecting that.
However, she regained her composure shortly after and, putting on a deliberately fierce expression, pointed her index finger at me.
“You! Do your best in the duel! Because I will too! I only wanted to say that, so don’t misunderstand!”
With that, she slipped back into the crowd and moved away.
As I watched her go, my eyes met Carla’s, who had been peeking at us from the back.
“……!”
For some reason, she was trembling while looking back and forth between Elisha and me.
Ah. Was it because of the Silence spell?
I didn't know what she was thinking, but I’d have to tell her later that it was nothing.
*
The dueling ground we arrived at was much larger than I had expected.
It even had spectator seating surrounding it, making it large enough to remind me of a soccer stadium.
From the flat floor tiles to the walls, everything was engraved with mysterious characters—likely some kind of enchantment.
Standing in the center of this vast arena, Professor Iona pointed to a corner.
“Now! Attendants, go over to that corner! The aftershocks of the duel might reach you, so no one should be wandering off on their own, okay? That way, it’ll be easier for me to protect you!”
At those words, the attendants bowed politely and scurried toward the direction Iona pointed.
Once only the students remained on the dueling ground, Iona finally began to explain the rules.
“There’s not enough time for one-on-one duels! Not enough time! So, everyone is going to fight all at once! The rules are simple! From this moment on, use every method at your disposal to neutralize everyone except yourself!”
At those words, the students glanced at each other before one of them quietly raised a hand.
“Um, Professor?”
“Yes? A question? What is it? What are you curious about? Tell this Professor Iona anything!”
“I left my staff with my attendant. May I go and get it?”
Iona tilted her head at the nameless student’s question, then suddenly began to laugh as if she had heard something incredibly funny.
“Ahaha! You should always carry your weapon with you!”
“Haha… I’m sorry. I won’t forget to carry it from now on. Then…”
As the student laughed awkwardly and turned toward the attendants—
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
Iona’s expression suddenly turned cold.
“I told you, didn't I? You have to fight with only what you have on you right now. I announced yesterday that there would be a duel. Isn't it your own responsibility for not preparing your equipment properly?”
“…….”
That student had been assigned to Class A, so his abilities were likely excellent. Given the nature of the entrance exam, he probably knew how to fight well.
However, this was a class taught by Professor Iona, who preferred duels that were as close to real combat as possible in an already combat-oriented Academy.
There was no way she would go easy on someone who didn't carry their weapon despite being notified of the duel in advance.
Seeing the student freeze up as he realized her intent, Iona returned to her usual cheerful voice.
“Well! You’ll just have to make do with your bare hands this time! Don’t worry too much! It’s not like you’re entering a dungeon empty-handed, right? You’ll just lose some points! Anyway, how about the rest of you? Any other questions?”
One by one, the other students pulled out their wands and staffs from subspaces or their waists.
I also pulled out the staff I had bought for Carla from my inventory. I’d have to use this for now.
Only one person was empty-handed.
“I guess there are no other questions! You all understood, right?”
As Iona said that, she waved her hands in the air a few times, and a massive amount of mana erupted, enveloping us.
This was likely the protection magic she had mentioned earlier.
After casting the protection magic on each person, Iona, looking incredibly delighted, beamed and declared the start of the duel.
“Now then, from now on, kill each—I mean, fight each other!”
…Did she just say kill?
Though taken aback, I gathered my mana and focused it into the staff.
Wrooooom—
However, instead of weaving it into a spell, I simply let it explode.
Right toward the guy who was the only one empty-handed.
KABOOOOM!!
That’s one down!